Boxed In
by Kittencandy
Summary: After exposing the Alliance's misdeeds on Miranda, Mal and his crew regaining their normal routine of making an honest living smuggling questional goods until rumors of reaver attacks and a questional salvage job throw their newly quiet life for a loop.


"Cap'n, you've got a wave from Persephone."

Malcolm Reynolds slightly raised his head from where it had been slumbering to give a mumbled reply to his second in command.

"Sir?" Zoe questioned impatiently.

"Give me a _goram_ minute Zoe, then send it down to my bunk." Getting up, the tired man gingerly leaned down to retrieve his discarded shirt from the floor, sniffing it, Malcolm wrinkled his nose in distaste and looked around the room. For want of a garment with a more pleasing aroma, the Captain, groaning, lifted the shirt over his head and tucked it into his pants. "Now where'd I leave my suspenders?" His mumbled question was interrupted by the hum of his com screen coming to life.

"If cleanliness is next to godliness Captain, you're bunk proves you are the right man for our proposed unpalatable foray into the rim."

"Fanty, Mingo." Reynolds nodded at each of the twins in succession.

"He's Fanty," said one of the brothers pointing to the other. "and I'm…"

"Haven't we been over this? I always know which name to attach to each of your ugly _pigus_. Can we get down to business please?" Mal grumbled.

"Who said this was a business call? Perhaps my brother and I just wanted to catch up with our old friend."

"Mingo, we've never been on friendly terms. As I remember it, last time we met, you two tried to cheat me and mine out of our full cut."

"Now Mal, me and Fanty would never…"

"I'm sure," The captain replied tersely. "Now, are we done with the chit chat?"

"Whatever you say captain," placated one of the images on the screen.

"Yes, whatever you say captain," reiterated his twin. "We happen to know that there was an Alliance ship that had an unfortunate run-in with a reaver raiding party. As you know, the Alliance reported all reavers had been wiped out a few months ago at the time of that wave about Miranda; however, rumors have been flying about continued attacks on the far reaches of the rim planets. No one has been left alive to verify this of course but the…carnage at the scene seems like the party favors usually left behind after reavers have come calling. Given the rumors of your involvement in the destruction of these monstrous men, and your penchant for taking Alliance goods for your own gain, Mingo and I could think of no other crew better for this lucrative undertaking."

"You mean no other crew was foolish enough to walk on the raggedy edge of _shiny_ money and death when you proposed the job." The twins shared a glance then smiled at Reynolds.

"Does that mean you accept?"

" I don't like it," Simon declared angrily.

"You don't gotta like it doc," Mal replied. "As I keep having to remind you, I am the captain, this is my ship, and you are my crew. You don't like the way I do things, keep it to yourself or get off my ship." Captain Reynolds and Simon Tam stared at each other over the half eaten plates of protein mush. It was dinner time on the ship Serenity and the Captain had just briefed the crew on their latest money making opportunity. He sat at the head of the table, hands braced in fists against the wood as if to prop himself up bigger to intimidate all arguments into submission.

"Hell! If it gets us as much money as those two girly men say, I'm willin' to take on a few more reavers!" Jayne boasted. "Long as we stock up on grenades first," he added looking hopefully at the captain who stared blankly back.

"Sir, as much as I think agreeing with Jayne may bring about the apocalypse, I think taking this job is the right move." Having said her piece, Zoe moved to stand behind Mal, arms crossed.

"Any other thoughts?" Mal queried, "No? Okay then. River, please go change our heading. The rest of you may go about your merry." Mal abandoned his place at the table, following his pilot to the bridge.

"Does that mean we're getting grenades?" Jayne called down the hallway.

Watching the vastness of space was always soothing to River Tam. Whenever she had nightmares or visions while awake that left her screaming, dizzy, disoriented, she turned to the emptiness of the black. Her mind was always full and she just wanted to _be_. Tonight was no exception and as she turned Serenity towards their newest enterprise she felt only one other mind enter her domain.

"So little albatross, you were overly quiet during the meeting. What's your take on all this?" Reynolds took the pilot's seat as River glided to the copilot's chair to be closer to the stars. She tilted her head as if listening to something.

"Whispers but no voices. There were entrails and pain but those that slashed holes in the sky caught a ride on the wind to another place," Intoned River in a voice that never failed to sound like a poem, albeit a creepy one.

"Do you have a notion as to whether those reavers will be back to cause us any mayhem?" replied Reynolds, proud yet disturbed he was beginning to understand her codes.

"Like insects, they swarm, take what they need, then back to the hive. They have what they need: killed all within their sight. Drank the agony. No reason to go back," finished River.

"O….kay. So that means the reavers aren't coming back to skin us and eat us?"

"Affirmative," said River with a nod of her head.

"Good enough for me. Make sure you get some sleep tonight. You'll have a hard day tomorrow. I know how this sort of thing affects you. I wish I could spare you little one but I need all hands."

"I understand Captain. Readers are useful with red ink on the wall. Goodnight."

"Goodnight albatross." Malcolm leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up, careful of the glowing lights of Serenity's helm and the prehistoric friends his previous pilot had left behind. River was not the only one that sought solace in the black and Mal had much to ponder.


End file.
